Electric plug or outlet



July 12, 1938. c. w. KAUTZ, JR 2,123,422

ELECTRIC PLUG OR OUTLET Filed Sept. 5,1955

' A INVENTOR.

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- Z1 M ATTORNEY.

Patented 12,1938

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' ELECTRIC PLUG on. OUTLET Charles W. Kautz, Jr., Lancaster, Pa.

Application September 5, 1935, Serial No. 39,217

' 1 claim. (01. 173-343) This invention relates to electric plugs or outlets, and is herein disclosed as embodied in a plug adapted to be screwed into a standard incandescent lamp socket.

g The ordinary electric light plug is convenient, but at a slight pull its terminals often slip out of the socket oroutlet where they have been placed,

us cutting off the current from any device heated or lighted or driven by current coming 19 through the plug. Often the hold of the ordinary plug is so slight in the outlet that the vibration of parts gradually pulls the plug loose in the absence of any attendant or watcher, with the result that the desired heat or light fails or the driven II partstops.

According to the present invention these and other objections and difficulties are overcome and a plug is provided which cannot come loose or be accidentally pulled out. In the form shown an 20 outlet is provided with terminals concealed behind a cover having arcuate openings.

The plug shown is provided with projecting L- shaped terminals adapted to be passed through enlarged ends of the arcuate openings. Then a twist of the plug carries the L-shaped terminals into contact with the outlet terminals, and the outlet terminals are shown as provided with resilient jaws adapted to seize the Us of the plug terminals when the twisting of the plug carries its 3') terminals into the laws.

The jaws grip the plug terminals making close electrical contact and holding them against slipping, besides making impossible slipping by direct pull. I

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In theaccompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a sectional side view of the plug in an outlet.

Figure 2 is a section on the broken line 2-2 of Figure 1. A Figure 3 is a fragmentary section taken at right angles to Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 1. a Fmure 5 shows the plug and outlet separated.

Figure 6 is an end view of the plug.

The outlet member Ill illustrated includes a solid insulating body I I, carrying a bottom terminal l2 like an ordinary lamp base which is elec- 59 trically connected to a long terminal l3 lying in a bore or passage l4 extending from the face l5 on which the terminal l2 lies to the opposite face 15.

The member II also carries a metal screw 55 threaded jacket 11, which may be identical with the threaded jacket of an ordinary lamp base, and, like that, adapted to make electrical contact with the thread of the ordinary lamp socket.

The jacket ll, in assembling the device, is welded or sweated to a lug l3 projecting across the 5 face l5'from the body l9 of a terminal 20 lying in a second passage 2| which extends from the face 15 to the face ii.

To cause the terminals l2 and 20 to deliver elec-' tric current to the wires 22, and 23 of a cable 24, the cable 24 enters an opening 25 in a plug housing 26 so that its wires 22 and 23 are held by screws 21 and 23 to the turned over bottoms of terminals 29 and 39 when the screws 21 and 26 are screwed down in the body 26 through the terminals 29 and 30.

The terminals 29 and 33 are shown as standing up within the annular wall 3| of the body 26 and having inwardly projecting arms 32 and 33 which are adapted to pass through openings 34 and 35 in the end'36 a hood 31 which is carried on the end of the body H The end 36 of the hood 3'! is spaced from the end It of the body ll, being supported by an annular rim 38 which engages a rabbet 39 on the body II.

When the arms 32 and 33 have passed through the openings 34 and 35, the housing 26 may be turned to cause the inwardly projecting arms 32 and 33 to engage the ends of the terminals I3 and 20.

For this purpose the openings 34 and are continued as narrow arcuate slots 40 and H adapted to freely pass the shanks 42 and 43 of the terminals 29 and 30 as they turn with the hous- 35 ing 26.

When the arms 32 and 33 reach the terminals l3 and 20 as the housing 26 is turned, they usually encounter one of the cam faces 44 and 45 of the terminals, so as to cam the terminal slightly up or 40 down and permit the arm 32 or 33 to seat itself snugly and with good electrical contact into the jaws of the U 46 which is formed by bending the lower end of the terminal body horizontally at 41, then downwardly at 48 and then horizontally 45 back at 49.

To enable each terminal l3 and 20 to adjust itself to the fairly rigid arms 32 and 33, each terminal l3 and 20 is provided with a stretchable portion 5|), shown as a V bend in its long stretch 50 within the body I I.

In the form shown the annular wall 3| of the housing 26 is provided with a rabbet 52 to fit over the outer edge of the hood 36, and provided with circular ridges 53 and 54 for the fingers to grasp. 55

' ingandturningthehousing aninsulatingwasherli. 'ushortcircuitiormsbetweentheendll andthe u o! the came a is elongated rediallyalongonediameter at It to iscilitste grasp- "mi in'place on the l bodyiibyscrewsI'lthreadedintothe-bodyii.

In the iormsh'own the bottom terminsl l2 is'a into electrical contact withtheterminal i2.

Tostiiienthepiatellitisshownasbackedby 'Domakesurethat no lug ll, an elevated ridge .2 projects up from the bodyilbetweentheendllandlug ll.

'Dostesdythe Uslleachterniinal II and 2.

have its metal end bent into a reverse U ll flwlthitsendresting,oralmostrestingontheinhalihitchoisuchacableoverthebody llasis often done by users of electrical apparatus to prevent the plug from pulling out. 1

It will be observed that the long terminals l8 and II provide spring clip! suitable ior use in wnll outlets, and for giant plugs such as are used in motion picture studios. end for heavy drills. sanders and other portable machinery.

Having thus described certain embodiments of the invention, what is claimed is:

In on electric terminal device, an outlet end including two electric terminals, U-ends on said terminals forming Jaws, acover for the terminals.

having openings. :1. iixed mounting for each terminal, a. bend in each terminal between the mounting and the jaw adapted to yield, a plug having two terminals with bent-over ends adapted to pass through the cover openings and to be rotated to seat the ends in the jaws, a rabbeted housing on the plug adapted to flt over the cover 

